Cinnamon is an anti-oxidant king, ranked second only to cloves as the best anti-oxidant in the world. According to USDA figures it has a ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) of 267,536 ?mol/100g. But the USDA figures have been taken offline because the government didn’t want to give misleading information because used incorrectly these values can create misunderstanding. I suppose we agree.
Since we don’t have those figures (at least officially) to back up any claims we looked at oracvalues.com. Cinnamon was ranked 7th with a value of 131,420. ?mol/100g. Either way, we think it’s pretty darn good. And the best part is Ceylon Cinnamon is much easier take on a daily basis than the number 1 ranked, cloves. Honestly do you see yourself chewing on cloves every day? And Ceylon Cinnamon has very low Coumarin (0.004%) compared to Cassia Cinnamon which has near 5% Coumarin.
Anti Oxidant ORAC Value (?mol/100g)
Sumac, bran, raw 312,400
Spices, cloves, ground 290,283
Sorghum, bran, hi-tannin 240,000
Spices, oregano, dried 175,295
Spices, rosemary, dried 165,280
Spices, thyme, dried 157,380
Spices, cinnamon, ground 131,420
The Oxidation Process
So what is oxidation? Is oxidation a bad thing you ask? Let’s say it is a necessary evil. In the human body, the oxygen is absorbed by the blood stream in the lungs, being then transported to the cells where an elaborated change process takes place. Oxygen plays a vital role in the breathing processes and in the metabolism of the living organisms.
Probably, the only living cells that do not need oxygen are some anaerobic bacteria that obtain energy from other metabolic processes. The nutrient compounds, inside of the cell, are oxidized through complex enzymatic processes. This is called oxidation and is the source of energy of most of the animals, mainly of mammals. The by products are carbon dioxide and water (exhaled air has a relative humidity of 100%), which are eliminated by the human body through the lungs.
While oxygen supports our life, and “oxidizes” or “burns” food to create energy and heat for our bodies, certain types of altered oxygen molecules called “Free Radicals” which are ever-present in our bodies, will damage our own cells and even our DNA, causing degeneration and diseases such as cancer. Free radicals are caused by certain environmental conditions like :
- Daily stress – emotional and physical
- Ozone depletion
- Air pollutants
- Smoking cigarettes
- Inflammation
- Radiation (which includes UV rays from the sun)
- Industrial chemicals
- Processed foods
- Drugs – recreational and prescription
Just like our car is made up of many parts, the body is made up of many different types of cells. These cells are made of many different types of molecules. Molecules are made up of one or more atoms of one or more elements joined by chemical bonds.
Atoms consist of a nucleus, neutrons, protons and electrons. The number of protons (positively charged particles) in the atom’s nucleus determines the number of electrons (negatively charged particles) surrounding the atom.
Electrons are involved in chemical reactions and are the substance that bonds atoms together to form molecules which in turn form cells. Electrons surround, or “orbit” an atom in one or more shells. The innermost shell is full when it has two electrons. When the first shell is full, electrons begin to fill the second shell. When the second shell has eight electrons, it is full, and so on.
The most important structural feature of an atom for determining its chemical behavior is the number of electrons in its outer shell. A substance that has a full outer shell tends not to enter into chemical reactions (it is an inert substance). Because atoms seek to reach a state of maximum stability, an atom will try to fill its outer shell by:
Gaining or losing electrons to either fill or empty its outer shell, or
Sharing its electrons by bonding together with other atoms in order to complete its outer shell.
Atoms often complete their outer shells by sharing electrons with other atoms. By sharing electrons, the atoms are bound together and satisfy the conditions of maximum stability for the molecule.
What are free radicals and how are they formed
Free radicals are basically damaged cells. They are free because they are missing a vital electron on one of their atoms. Remember that cells are made of two or more molecules. Each molecule is made up of a pair of neutrons. These molecules are held together with a bond. When one of the bonds holding the molecules break, it sometimes creates unpaired neutrons. Molecules with unpaired neutrons are called a free radicals. The natural free radicals in our body occur through metabolism. What we have to worry about are the free radicals caused by unnatural processes such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke, chemicals, stress, lack of exercise and lack of sleep
The free radicals then go on a quest to either give or get the missing molecule from another cell. They will be quite aggressive and fast in this process. The problem is that in their quest to pair as quickly as possible they can often injure the other cells. If they killed the other cells it wouldn’t be so bad. Instead they injure the cell and often alter the vital DNA of that cell. And when the DNA is altered it can create disease. And when a cell’s DNA gets altered it grows abnormally causing cancers and tumors that will ultimately kill you. Now don’t get me wrong. The body usually produced free radicals as a matter of course and these can be well managed by the body’s natural anti-oxidants. Unfortunately in the modern society we live with cigarette smoke, too much sunlight, dust and other pollutants that produce a lot of free radicals. To fight that we need to a good anti-oxidant. And Ceylon Cinnamon is one of the best you can get
It is basically free radicals are something that protects our cells. Think of it like a protective coat of paint on that piece of metal that can stop it from rusting. Our body interacts with glucose (in the form of food) and oxygen to create body heat and energy. As oxygen interacts with cells in our body, oxidation occurs. This produces a change in those cells. Sometimes these cells die and at other times they are replaced with new cells. This goes on 24/7. It is a process necessary to provide energy, heat and keep the body healthy. This is a natural process. Unfortunately during the oxidation process 1-2% of these cells will get damaged and turn into free radicals. Some free radicals arise normally during metabolism.
Sometimes the body’s immune systems cells purposefully create them to neutralize viruses and bacteria. However, environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also spawn free radicals. Normally, the body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur. Of particular importance is that free radical damage that accumulates with age or smoking.
Which why we take anti-oxidants. Because anti-oxidants like Ceylon Cinnamon can donate an electron to the free radical to make it stable. Donating an electron an antioxidant becomes a free radical by definition. Antioxidants in this state are not harmful because they have the ability to accommodate the change in electrons without becoming reactive.
As with all things no study seems conclusive. In some model organisms, such as yeast and Drosophila, there is evidence that reducing oxidative damage can extend lifespan. In mice, interventions that enhance oxidative damage generally shorten lifespan. However, in roundworms (Caenorhabditis elegans), blocking the production of the naturally occurring antioxidant superoxide dismutase has recently been shown to increase lifespan.
Whether reducing oxidative damage below normal levels by taking lots of anti oxidants is sufficient to extend lifespan remains an open and controversial question. But the anecdotal evidence seems positive. Ultimately you have to make the decision and see if it works for you. Antioxidants seem to help. However most of the research also concludes that an anti-oxidant should be taken in moderation as part of a healthy lifestyle. We agree. If you smoke, don’t exercise, eat too much and take huge doses of anti-oxidant to compensate, you are likely to die much earlier. In fact taking too much anti-oxidants could be detrimental to your health as it may have a toxic effect on your body. Take in moderation. Don’t make it a religion. Enjoy the Ceylon Cinnamon for what it is. A delightful spice that will enrich your life with its flavor and smell. And add some Oregano, Rosemary and Thyme into your meals. Together with exercise, healthy eating habits, these spices could have a powerful effect on your health.
Discover the power of all natural Cinnamon at http://www.cinnamonvogue.com